Hi all,

Way back when, I was subscribed to another diet/fitness website.  On that website, in their discussion forums, one woman started an exercise thread called “A Walk Across America.” Each week, she would tally up all the miles she had walked or run and would plot them on a map.  She had the goal of walking across the continent (digitally, at least!).  Then, she started accepting other people’s “donated” miles to add to her own so she would make faster progress.

It was one of my favorite things on that website - going to that thread each week to see where we had “been” in the past week.

So I thought I would start up something similar here.

Periodically, I’ll add up all the miles I’ve walked (and any that anyone wants to “donate” to the cause), and post the progress.

I’ll start out in Eastport, Maine - the eastermost city of the United States and then start heading down Highway 1, continuing down the East coast of the U.S. until I get to Florida, at which point I’ll stop in at Lake Mary, Florida to visit Scott in the MTM studio!  From there, who knows where I’ll go?!!?? 

Judy

What a great idea!  See you when you get here!

Here’s where I’ve been since January 1, 2007 - a total of just over 35 miles:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=705296

I started in Eastport, Maine - the easternmost city in the U.S.  It’s pretty damn nippy out today (only going to reach 16F today!), but it’s really beautiful.  The town was founded in 1780, incorporated as a town in 1798, and incorporated as a city in 1893, and it celebrated its 200th year in 1998.

Eastport also has the distinction of having been part of Canada for 4 years after the War of 1812.  During the War of 1812, the islands and mainland of the area were claimed by both Great Britain and the United States. A shotless battle occurred at Eastport’s then-existing Fort Sullivan, when the British Navy sailed in and threatened the island. With overwhelming troop strength, and without a shot fired, they siezed the fort and Moose Island, renaming the fort “Fort Sherbrooke,” and building some additional defenses. Being held by British troops for four years, the Treaty of Ghent settled the local boundary between Canada and the United States, making Eastport American, once again.

After heading northwest from the center of town, I headed up through Quoddy Village and up onto Old Toll Bridge Road.  When I got to the water, I climbed into the conveniently waiting rowboat and rowed across to the mainland, where I hopped onto Old Eastport Road.  Just a little way up the road I turned left onto Cannon Hill Road and kept hiking.  I continued along Cannon Hill Road, skirting Cobscook Bay.

Further along the route I came to Pembroke, Maine, one of whose claims to fame is that it was the birthplace of Charles Best, one of the discoverers of insulin.  Along the way, I passed by Little Egypt Road, which I wonder about.  Could it take me to visit the Beans?

I continued hoofing it down Hwy 1, resisting the urge to hang a right onto Hwy 86 at Dennysville.  Maybe on another visit, I’ll stop to do some camping and hiking at Cobscook State Park, but for now I kept heading south.

Further along Hwy 1, I realized I was now skirting Whiting Bay and heading into the Town of Whiting.  From there, Hwy 1 became a very scenic, but not very populated road.

This morning, I arrived on the shores of Gardner Lake, where I could own ... for the miserly sum of $750,000 ... this property.  Hmmm.  I wonder if the stuffed bear is included in the price?

I’m resting now until I accumulate a few more miles.  Then, I’m heading off down Hwy 1 to Machias, where I’ll stop and visit some of my first cousins (who really do live there!)

Judy

You can have my 15 from last week and so far this week, as long as elliptical miles count. Otherwise its just 9.

Bree

Thanks, Bree!  I think elliptical miles should count.  That will get us into Machias, I think, so we can sponge off of my cousins and see if we can get them to buy us a lobster dinner.

P.S.  But I am drawing the line - no cycling miles!  (Sorry Tom!)

You can have my 3 miles from walking this week, and my 8 miles on the elliptical from last week. 
What about kayak miles?  I did 20 miles last weekend and 12.5 this weekend.

Thanks, Paula!

I’ll take your walking and elliptical miles!

But, like the cycling, I think I’ll have to draw the line on kayaking miles, too. 

I’m remembering that original website that started me doing this.  One of the things that bothered me the most was once the woman who originated it started accepting any and all exercise miles, the thread started shooting through multiple states in one week!  (There were a few VERY avid cyclists on that list.)

Part of what I found so much fun about the thread when it started was how you got to “visit” all these interesting little out-of-the-way places along the way. 

I’m going to play this by ear, though, and if it looks like we’re just creeping around the continent, I may start begging for your kayaking miles!

’fugi’ miles must be allowed!?

Fugi   Is that the name of your bike, Tom?

If so, I’m sorry, but no.  No bike or kayak miles allowed .... yet.  If I find it’s taking us WAY too long to make it down the East Coast to see Scott, I might reconsider.

I hate being the Meanie but that’s the way it’s going to be for now! 

I checked your map link and I might just use my kayak miles (68 miles since January 1) to make a few side trips along the coast, all those bays and islands are just begging for exploration.  Of course if you need do do some water crossings you’re welcome to have them.

5 more miles on the elliptical yesterday.

Thanks for the miles, Paula!  And your offer of your kayak sounds good to me.  Rowing that remarkably convenient waiting rowboat sure was tough on my arms!

Thanks to 31 miles donated by Bree and Paula (and my additional 1.5 miles today), we’ve gotten another 32+ miles closer to Lake Mary, Florida!  We’ve made it all the way to Cherryfield, Maine!

After spending the night in a lovely B&B; in East Machias, Maine, we continued heading south on Hwy 1, passing by a sign indicating a left turn if we wanted to visit Dog Town!  What an intriguing name for a place, but that will have to wait for another time.  We’re on a mission to visit Scott in Lake Mary, Florida, so there’s no time to lose.

We did, however, stop in Machias a bit further down the road.  Machias is the county seat of Washington County in spite of having fewer than 2500 residents!  But our real reason for stopping was to meet up with my Maine cousins Carol Anne, Nancy, Mark, and Deane.  They very graciously offered to buy us all lobster dinners!  Mmmmmmm.

Then, we made a quick jog around the campus of the University of Maine at Machias.  And we ended our brief visit with a tour of Burnham Tavern museum, the site of the first naval battle of the American Revolution.

We hit the road again, passing through Jonesboro, a small community that in the last century managed to produce enough pink granite to build this bank in Buffalo, New York!

Further down the road we came to Columbia Falls, a town which historically was a shipbuilding and lumbering town, but which now specializes in the processing of clams and raising blueberries.  Mmmmmmmm.

And not much further down the road we came to Columbia, Maine, which is quite a small community, but is home to this company, which makes delicious-smelling Balsam fir Christmas wreaths.

We then came to Harrington, where we pitched our tents and spent the night.  (Paula really liked it here!).  The next morning we had to make a tough decision.  Do we continue straight on Hwy 1 into Cherryfield?  Or hang off to the left down Hwy 1A, which would keep us closer to the coast, but cost us a few extra miles?

Remembering our mission, we stayed straight on Hwy 1 and arrived at our destination for this leg of the journey - The Blueberry Capital of the World, where we are resting up, trying to not overeat blueberries and lobster, and getting ready to tackle the next leg of the trip.

This is the best road trip I’ve ever been on.

Bree

Glad you’re enjoying it!  Now you see why I loved the thread on that other website.

I’m having a blast doing it!  It’s making me want to visit these places for real!

Judy

I have 8 more miles for you. Can’t wait to see where they take us.

Bree

Thanks Bree!

Plus Paula added another 3 yesterday I think.  And I did 1.45 this morning.

So it looks as though we’ll be moving at least 12+ miles further down the road towards Lake Mary!